Container for taking and storing of biological fluids



Sept. 12, 1961 F. SCHURER 2,999,500

CONTAINER FOR TAKING AND STORING OF BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS Filed May 18, 19552 Sheets-Sheet 1 lm/emon' FRIEDRICH SCHURER.

ATTORNEVS F. SCHURER Sept. 12, 1961 CONTAINER FOR TAKING AND STORING OFBIOLOGICAL FLUIDS Filed May 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rlllll iilfillllInventor FRIEDRICH 5 40 35 ATTQENEYS aired This invention relates to newand useful improvements in the taking and storing of biological fluids.The invention more particularly relates .to a new device and method fortaking and storing of biological fluids such as blood, blood-substitutesolutions, infusion solutions, etc.

In accordance with conventional practices, blood is taken from donorsand stored in sterilized glass bottles. Sterilized glass bottles aregenerally prepared to receive the blood by filling it with the necessaryquantity of a stabilizer which prevents coagulation .of the blood, as,for example, a sodium citrate solution, and heating it to about 120 C.The interior of the bottle is then connected to the interior of a veinof the donor by means of an infusion cannula system, i.e., a tube havinga hollow hypodermic needle at each end. The blood is drawn relatively.rapidly into the bottle by the vacuum produced upon cooling of thebottle.

In order to transfer the blood from the bottle to a patient, theprocedure is reversed with the necessary pressure being established inthe bottle by pumping air into the bottle through a second needlethrough a pierceable rubber closure which seals the bottle. 7

The use of conventional glass bottles in blood taking and storing,however, has considerable disadvantages. In the taking of the blood, theneedle inserted in the vein of the donor is frequently obstructed by thecollapse of the vein wall as the result of the strong suction in thebottle. Further, the rate of withdrawal cannot be uniformly andcarefullycontrolled in the desired manner.

The glass bottles which .are used for this purpose require a special.construction and are therefore relatively costly. The same, due toeconomic considerations, must be reused several times. In order to reusethese bottles, a careful purification and sterilization must be eifectedwith particular care being taken that all pyrogen is removed. Generally,this purification and sterilization may only be efiected at speciallyequipped establishments, adding the cost of transportation and breakageto the over-all expense.

One object of this invention is a device for the taking and storing ofblood which eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages. This, andstill further objects will become apparent from the followingdescription, read in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of an embodiment of a device in accordancewith the invention;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d diagrammatically show the device of FIG. 1 in fourdifferent stages of use in the taking and transferring of blood;

FIG. 3a is a plan view of an embodiment of an apparatus in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 3b is a plan view of a further embodiment of a device in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a still further embodimentof a device in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation partially in section of theprotective casing of the device in FIG. 4.

The device in accordance with the invention has a thin, flexible,stretchable bag of rubber, plastic, or the like, which is provided witha tappable closure, preferably in the form of a tubular reinforced neckand a pierceable elastic plate, such as a rubber plate. The flexible bagis positioned in a substantially rigid fluid-tight container ratesPatent which is preferably transparent and has a gas-exhaust openingdefined through one of its wall portions. The closure of the bag extendsthrough a wall of the container in fluid-tight engagement therewith.Thus, the tubular, reinforced neck of the bag may extend through thegastight engagement with ahole in the cover of the container.

Referring to the embodiments shown in the drawing, as shown inFiG. l,the bag 1 is of a thin, flexible, stretchable material such as rubber orplastic, and is positioned in the rigid fluid-tight transparentcontainer 4. The bag 1, which is preferably of extremely thintransparent rubbet or the like and which has the customary capacity ofabout 600 cc. is pulled over a tubular reinforcement neck 2 of glass,plastic, metal, or the like, which is closed by the pierceable rubberplate 3. The interior of the bag 2 is thus completely sealed andcommunication therewith can only be effected by piercing the rubberplate 3 with a hollow needle, as, for example, a hypodermic needle. Theneck and closure portion of the bag 1 is similar in construction toclosures of bottles and the like which are used to supply liquids forhypodermic needles.

The neck 2 extends through a hole in the cover plate 5 of the container4, in fluid-tight engagement therewith with the plate 3 being positionedoutside of the container. Ages-exhaust opening in the form of a nipple 6is provided through the cover 5 of the container. A vacuum pump, such asa hand-vacuum pump may be connected by means ofa rubber tube to thenipple 6 for evacuating the container 4 and thus expanding thestretchable bag 1. The container 4 itself may, for example, beconstructed of glass or may, as shown, be constructed of a suitabletransparent plastic, provided with reinforcements at its bottom and topsides. The container 4 may serve as an evacuating vessel for the fillingof the bag 1 and at the same time as a protective container for thestorage of the withdrawn blood.

In operation the bag 1 may be filled with, for example, cc. of a 3%sodium citrate dextrose solution, as a blood stabilizer. The bag issubstantially freed from air by evacuation and assembled in thecontainer in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a and sterilized, as, forexample, at a temperature of C.

A conventional transfusion or infusion cannula may be .used for thetaking of the blood. The cannula consists of a sterile tube 9 with ahollow cannula needle, such as a hypodermic needle 8 attached to one endand a corre sponding needle 1i attached to the other end. One of theneedles is inserted in communication with the interior of the bag 1 bypiercing the pierceable rubber plate 3. The other needle is inserted inthe vein of the donor. The connection of the cannula to the device isshown in FIG. 2d. The nipple 6 is then connected to a vacuum pump suchas a hand pump, and the container 4 is evacuated, causing an expansionof the bag 1 and a drawing of the blood into the bag 1. Withdrawal maybe very carefully controlled by the regulation of the evacuation of thecontainer 4 and the injurious irregular drawing out of the blood may beavoided. The blood is withdrawn until bag ll fills the interior of thecontainer 4 and rests against the sides thereof.

After the removal of the needle 8 and of the hand pump, the blood in thebag 1 may be maintained in the container 4 as shown in FIG. 20 forstorage purposes.

In order to use the filled container as shown in FIG. 2c for transfusionpurposes, the same is inverted and the needle 8 of the cannula insertedthrough the plate 3. Since the pump is removed from the nipple 6 and thenipple 6 itself may be removed merely leaving an opening to the interiorof the container, the bag 1 may freely collapse without any backpressure or vacuum being formed. Thus, the flow of blood from theinterior of the bag may be controlled merely by adjusting the height ifdesired, the gas under pressure may be forced into the nipple 6 tocontrol the transfusion rate.

After use, the blood bag 1 may be thrown away and the container 4 reusedtime and time again without any special precautionary or cleaningmeasures being necessary.

The container 4 may have a cylindrical shape as indicated in FIG. 3a, ormay have any other desired shape, as, for example, a flattened shape asshown in FIG. 3b. In the case of such a flat shape, it is advisable toprovide additional reinforcement if the jacket 4 is of plastic or offlexible material, as, for example, in the form of metal bands in orderto prevent lateral crushing upon the evacuation.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention a self-supportingprotective casing, as, for example, a flexible, non-stretchable plasticmaterial is provided surrounding the stretchable bag 1. Such anembodiment is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment the stretchable rubberbag 1 is permanently connected with the selfsupporting but flexibleprotective casing 12, which are both connected to the common neck 2, asshown in FIG. 5. In all other respects the construction and operationare the same as described above in connection with the embodiment shownin FIG. 1. During the filling of the bag 1, however, the rubber bag 1expands until it completely fills and rests against the inner wall ofthe selfsupporting protective casing 12. After the completion of thefilling, the blood bag 1, together with the protective casing can beremoved from the container 4 by first removing the cover 5 of thecontainer, which is sealed to the container at 15 and thereafterremoving the neck portions 2 and 3 from the container cover 5. Afterremoval, the container 4 may be used again Without any special cleaning.The blood bag 1 in the protective casing 12 as shown in FIG. 5, may beused for the storage of the blood and for transfusion. The casing 12 ispreferably not fluid-tight, so that the stretchable bag 1 may freelyexpand or contract therein without causing pressure or suction. This maybe effected by providing small openings through the wall of the casing12, etc.

After use, the bag 1, along with the casing 12, may be thrown away, orelse for purposes of economy, the bag 1 may be removed from the casing12 and the casing reused.

Due to the possibility of using the container 4 repeatedly in theembodiment shown in FIG. 4, it may be made of an extremely strongconstruction, as, for example, of heavy glass. The cover 5 of thecontainer may be placed in fluid-tight engagement over the lower part,as, for example, by means of the closure ring 15.

As shown in FIG. 5, the stretchable bag 1 and the protective casing 12are both pulled over the cylindrical reinforcement neck 2 of glass,metal, or the like. The closure 3 is in the form of a rubber cap, whichsits over the reinforcement neck 2 on the outside of the bag 1 andprotective casing 12, sealing the same together and 4 to the neck 2. Thetop of the closure is in the form of the flat, pierceable rubber plate3.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to thespecific embodiments shown and described, various changes andmodifications will become apparent to the artisan which fall within thespirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Device for taking and storing biological fluids comprising a thin,flexible stretchable bag, having a substantially rigid tubular neckportion, a protective casing of flexible, but non-stretchable materialpositioned surrounding said bag, said bag and said protective casingbeing pulled over said substantially rigid neck portion and sealedthereto by tappable closure means, positioned over said neck portion,said casing being positioned surrounding said bag, so that between saidbag and said casing a hollow space is formed which is substantiallycompletely taken up when said bag is completely filled.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which said tappable closure meansinclude a pierceable elastic plate.

3. Device according to claim 1, in which said bag is substantially freeof air and contains a blood stabilizer.

4. Device according to claim 1', in which said flexible casing has asubstantially transparent wall.

5. Device for taking and storing biological fluids comprising a thin,flexible, stretchable bag, having a substantially rigid tubular neckportion sealed with a pierceable elastic plate, a protective casing offlexible, but nonstretchable material, positioned surrounding said bag,said bag and said protective casing being pulled over said substantiallyrigid neck portion and sealed thereto in fluid-tight sealing engagementtherewith by closure means having said pierceable elastic plate at itstop, said casing being positioned to surround said bag, so that betweensaid bag and said casing a hollow space is formed :which issubstantially completely taken up when said bag is completely filled.

6. Device according to claim 5, in which said bag and said protectivecasing are pulled over a substantially rigid, tubular neck reinforcementpiece, and sealed thereto by a flexible elastic cap positioned over saidreinforcement neck piece and having said pierceable elastic plate at itstop.

7. Device according to claim 6, in which said casing is a substantiallytransparent material.

8. Device according to claim 7, in which said bag is substantiallygas-free and contains a blood stabilizer.

References Cited in the file of this patent

